Three weeks away from serious training have left Ryoma's body noticeably different from the one that stepped into the ring against Umemoto.
He is back in the gym now, but even the simplest conditioning work feels heavier than it should. Hiroshi starts him with a light warm-up, followed by several rounds of jump rope, bodyweight exercises, short sprints, and controlled bag work, carefully keeping the intensity below anything resembling fight preparation.
Ryoma manages each drill without complaint, yet his breathing becomes increasingly labored as the session continues. His legs feel heavy, his shoulders burn, and sweat quickly soaks through his shirt. Even his footwork, normally effortless, begins losing its sharpness as fatigue accumulates.
Hiroshi watches closely before moving him into a final conditioning drill.
"Thirty seconds. Fast feet. Keep the rhythm clean."
